Argentina steps up legal campaign against Falkland Islands oil firms

Government says new legal complaints to be filed against firms exploring for oil near the Falkland Islands, without naming them.

A cyclist rides past a mural depicting soldiers and a map of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas, commemorating the 1982 war between Britain and Argentina over the islands, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 15, 2026 [Alessia Maccioni/Reuters]

Argentina will file new legal complaints against companies exploring for oil near the Falkland Islands, intensifying its campaign against businesses operating in the British overseas territory.

Government spokesperson Adrian Ravier said in a press conference on Tuesday that new complaints would be filed against firms operating in the Falklands, though he did not name them.

list 1 of 3 Israel lacking respect for dead buried in Gaza rubble: UN

list 2 of 3 UK, US, Netherlands warn of Iran-linked spyware

list 3 of 3 US Senate crypto bill collapses in blow to industry

The move is part of a broader push by President Javier Milei’s government, which is also preparing legislation this week to toughen sanctions against companies operating in the Falklands.

The Falklands are located about 600km (373 miles) east of Argentina’s southernmost tip and are administered by Britain. Earlier this month, Milei resurrected Argentina’s long-standing claim to the nearby UK-held Falkland Islands, which Buenos Aires refers to as Las Malvinas.

The Argentine president has framed the dispute as a matter of national identity and has since argued that the “winds of change” favour Argentina’s position, touching a sensitive topic in UK-Argentina relations.

US President Donald Trump has suggested he is reconsidering US support for Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, telling British media this week that he will “settle” the dispute between Argentina and the UK, which has been at a stalemate, despite Buenos Aires’ claims, since British victory in the 1982 war.

Analysts say that raises the prospect of wider tensions with Britain if Buenos Aires targets other parts of the islands’ economy.

Argentine newspaper Clarin reported that a federal prosecutor had filed a request to open an investigation into executives and shareholders of Israel’s Navitas Petroleum and Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration. Milei, a close ally of Israel, pledged last year to move Argentina’s diplomatic mission from near Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

A presidential statement last week said that the government had filed a criminal complaint in Argentine courts against Navitas Petroleum for exploring a major oil field in the North Falkland basin known as the Sea Lion project.

The government also launched legal action against Canadian company Eco Atlantic, which has a licence to explore next to the Sea Lion field, saying its licences were granted “by the illegitimate government of the United Kingdom”.

A 2011 law establishes penalties of up to 20 years of disqualification from operating in Argentina and up to 15 years in prison for carrying out exploration on Argentina’s continental shelf without government authorisation.

Navitas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rockhopper declined to comment. Both companies have previously said the oilfield project holds valid licences from the Falkland Islands government and have indicated that they do not expect Milei’s actions to derail development.

Federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Britain earlier on Tuesday sought to reassure companies doing business in the Falkland Islands, saying in guidance published on its government website that it supported all legitimate economic activity in the islands and backed the Falkland Islanders’ right to regulate their economy and develop their natural resources, including hydrocarbons.

“The UK government’s position is that Argentina has no right to exercise jurisdiction over the Falkland Islands or to apply its domestic law within the Islands, nor towards any companies or individuals participating in business in or connected with the Islands,” Britain said in its guidance.

It added that it saw no legal basis for courts outside Argentina to enforce measures taken against such businesses.

The 1982 war ended with an Argentine surrender after 74 days of conflict that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.

政府表示将对在福克兰群岛附近勘探石油的公司提起新的法律诉讼，但没有透露这些公司的名称。

2026年9月15日，在阿根廷布宜诺斯艾利斯，一名骑自行车的人经过一幅壁画，壁画上描绘了士兵和福克兰群岛（阿根廷称之为马尔维纳斯群岛）的地图，以纪念1982年英国和阿根廷之间因该群岛而爆发的战争。[Alessia Maccioni/路透社]

阿根廷将对在福克兰群岛附近勘探石油的公司提起新的法律诉讼，加大力度打击在英国海外领土上经营的企业。

政府发言人阿德里安·拉维尔周二在新闻发布会上表示，将对在福克兰群岛经营的公司提出新的投诉，但他没有透露这些公司的名称。

联合国：以色列对埋在加沙废墟中的死者缺乏尊重（共3项，此为第1项）

英国、美国、荷兰警告伊朗相关间谍软件（共3个名单，此为第2个）

美国参议院三项加密货币法案中的第三项宣告失败，对行业造成打击

此举是哈维尔·米莱总统领导的政府更广泛举措的一部分，该政府本周还准备立法，以加强对在福克兰群岛运营的公司的制裁。

福克兰群岛位于阿根廷最南端以东约600公里（373英里）处，由英国管辖。本月初，米莱重申了阿根廷对附近由英国控制的福克兰群岛（布宜诺斯艾利斯称之为马尔维纳斯群岛）的长期主权声索。

阿根廷总统将这场争端定性为国家认同问题，并辩称“变革之风”有利于阿根廷的立场，这触及了英阿关系中的一个敏感话题。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普暗示他正在重新考虑美国对英国在福克兰群岛主权问题上的支持。本周，他告诉英国媒体，他将“解决”阿根廷和英国之间的争端。自1982年英国在战争中获胜以来，尽管布宜诺斯艾利斯方面声称拥有主权，但该争端一直处于僵局。

分析人士表示，如果布宜诺斯艾利斯将目标转向岛上其他经济领域，则可能加剧与英国之间的紧张关系。

阿根廷《号角报》报道称，一名联邦检察官已提出申请，要求对以色列纳维塔斯石油公司和英国洛克霍珀勘探公司的管理人员和股东展开调查。阿根廷总理米莱伊是以色列的亲密盟友，他去年承诺将阿根廷驻以色列外交使团从特拉维夫附近迁至耶路撒冷。

上周总统发表声明称，政府已向阿根廷法院对纳维塔斯石油公司提起刑事诉讼，指控其在北福克兰盆地勘探名为“海狮”项目的大型油田。

政府还对加拿大公司 Eco Atlantic 提起诉讼，该公司拥有在 Sea Lion 油田附近勘探的许可证，称其许可证是“由非法的英国政府”颁发的。

2011 年的一项法律规定，未经政府授权在阿根廷大陆架上进行勘探活动，最高可处以 20 年禁止在阿根廷经营的处罚，以及 15 年监禁。

Navitas公司尚未对此事作出回应。Rockhopper公司拒绝置评。两家公司此前均表示，该油田项目持有福克兰群岛政府颁发的有效许可证，并表示他们预计Milei公司的行为不会阻碍项目开发。

联邦检察官卡洛斯·斯托内利的办公室尚未对此事作出回应。

英国周二早些时候试图安抚在福克兰群岛开展业务的公司，在其政府网站上发布的指导意见中表示，英国支持岛上所有合法的经济活动，并支持福克兰群岛居民有权管理自己的经济和开发其自然资源，包括碳氢化合物。

英国政府在其指导意见中表示：“英国政府的立场是，阿根廷无权对福克兰群岛行使管辖权，也无权在群岛内适用其国内法，更无权对在群岛内或与群岛有业务往来的任何公司或个人适用其国内法。”

报告还指出，阿根廷境外的法院没有法律依据来强制执行针对此类企业采取的措施。

1982 年的战争以阿根廷投降告终，这场战争持续了 74 天，造成 649 名阿根廷士兵和 255 名英国士兵死亡。